Cebrowski chosen for Transformation

Retired Navy Vice. Adm. Arthur Cebrowski has been selected to lead the Defense Department's newly created Office of Force Transformation.

Cebrowski, former president of the Naval War College and a respected military information technology leader, has been rumored for the post for months. The Pentagon made the appointment official Nov. 26.

Cebrowski will report directly to the secretary and deputy secretary of Defense, DOD officials said.

He will spearhead the Pentagon's efforts to evaluate transformation activities of each of the services, and he will recommend steps for integrating those activities into other ongoing efforts.

Pentagon officials noted that Cebrowski has been called the "father of network-centric warfare," which is one of the centerpieces of the department's transformation planning and the cornerstone of DOD chief information officer John Stenbit's plans.

In the Quadrennial Defense Review and Defense Planning Guidance, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had called for the creation of the Force Transformation Office as part of the Bush administration's broad goal to transform DOD.

"Art Cebrowski is the perfect guy to promote and analyze our transformation efforts," Rumsfeld said in a statement. "I chose him for his broad military experience, his strong credentials in joint operations and information technology, and his grasp of the cultural and technical issues involved in transformation."

Cebrowski retired from the Navy in October after serving as the president of the Naval War College in Newport, R.I.